A farmer examines her cantaloupes in Wuxuan county, Laibin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo by Shi Ruipeng/China Daily]

The village currently has 17 hectares of cantaloupe fields, attracting more than just impoverished families as shareholders. Villagers can apply for small loans to join the cooperatives, with the interest being covered by the government.

Last year's sales reached 1.35 million yuan. Several retail stores later opened in nearby towns, providing a bonus to villagers. In 2019, the average annual income per capita in Helyu Village was 8,740 yuan, and only 0.13 percent of its population still lived under the poverty line.